# Accident 19990705008279A: Blanca 1730A, Brownfield, TX, July 5, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 5, 1999, 19:00 local time - Place: Brownfield, TX - Airport: Terry County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.1696° N, 102.2706° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1696&lon=-102.2706&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9520E, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9520E-2012-08-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bellanca 17-30A (registry code 1220433, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-17-30a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BLANCA 1730A - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA180) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990705008279A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (TTY) ACFT LOST POWER WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AND STRUCK THE GROUND 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE RWY. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JULY 5, 1999, AT 1900 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA BL17-30A AIRPLANE, N9520E, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE TERRY COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR BROWNFIELD, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE 35-NAUTICAL MILE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE LUBBOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEAR LUBBOCK, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1845. A PILOT WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT AT THE TERRY COUNTY AIRPORT, STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE STALL AS IT CLEARED THE POWERLINES AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 20. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT "THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED ABRUPTLY AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED DOWN IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE, APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE LANDING THRESHOLD." THE PILOT REPORTED TO A LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THAT THE E NGINE LOST POWER ON FINAL APPROACH AND "HE WAS NOT QUICK ENOUGH TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OTHER TANK." EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER REVEALED THAT BOTH WINGS WERE "DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND." ADDITIONALLY, THE 3-BLADED PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO FIRE. (-23) ON JULY 5, 1999, AT 1900 CST, A BELLANCA BL-17-30A, REGISTRATION N9520E, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO TERRY CO. AIRPORT NEAR BROWNFIELD,TX. THE NON-INSTRUCMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE AND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE 35 NAUTICAL MILE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LUBBOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. THE PILOT TRIED SWITCHING BETWEEN RIGHT AND LEFT FUEL TANKS DURING THE ENGINE RESTART BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. A PILOT WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT STATED HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE STALL AS IT CLEARED POWER LINES AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY #20. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED ABRUPTLY AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED DOWN IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE, APPROX. 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE LANDING THRESHOLD. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW99LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA180), Jul 6, 1999: Bellanca BL17-30A (N9520E), Brownfield, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent stall while attempting to clear powerlines. Factors were the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's improper use of the fuel tank selector. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.